


Trick Or Treat

by telperion_15



Category: Primeval
Genre: Angst and Humor, Challenge Response, Established Relationship, Halloween, M/M, Trick or Treating, Unexpected Visitors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-12
Updated: 2012-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-31 00:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/337957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telperion_15/pseuds/telperion_15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Stephen's evening is disturbed by a different kind of trick or treater.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trick Or Treat

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for [The ARC](http://www.primevalarchive.co.uk/)'s Trick or Treat Challenge.
> 
> Spoilers for episode 1.06.

The piercing ring of the doorbell made Nick groan and slouch down into the sofa.  
  
“Oh no, not again. Why do I have to live on a street with so many bloody kids in it?”  
  
Stephen chuckled, not looking even remotely sympathetic. “It’s Halloween. What did you expect?”  
  
“That they’d avoid my house like the plague. Surely the rumour that the grumpy man at number thirty-one has no confectionary of any sort should have spread by now?”  
  
“Hope springs eternal, it seems.”  
  
The doorbell rang again, eliciting another groan. Stephen gave Nick a nudge.  
  
“You’d better answer it. They’re not going to give up, you know.”  
  
“Can’t you do it?”  
  
Stephen shook his head. “I did it last time. It’s your turn.”  
  
“That’s not fair! Last time it was that group of teenage girls – they’re much less obnoxious than the little oiks in goblin costumes.”  
  
“Are you sure about that? I thought those girls would never leave.” Stephen shuddered theatrically. “I’m sure they wanted to come in.”  
  
“And why do you think that is?” Nick replied, looking rather amused himself now. “Maybe I do have some candy in this house, after all. _Eye_ candy, that is…”  
  
He stood up quickly enough to avoid Stephen’s annoyed swipe, and then leaned in to give the other man a brief peck on the lips before heading into the hallway.  
  
“Make sure you duck to avoid the silly string this time!” Stephen called after him.  
  
Nick laughed, and picked another piece of the offending substance in question off his shirt as he walked down the hall. The kids tended to get rather annoyed when he said he had no chocolate to give them, leading them to take the ‘trick’ part of the festival very seriously indeed.  
  
He could the silhouette of someone through the glass panels of the front door. They were rather taller than the average child, and for a moment he wondered if the teenagers had come back, and whether he should turn around and tell Stephen the visitors were for him, after all.  
  
But maybe if they saw him they’d leave quicker, whoever they were. And after all the terrors that had turned up on his doorstep this evening, getting rid of someone as fast as possible seemed like a very attractive idea.  
  
On the other hand, maybe it was someone’s Mum, chaperoning her offspring and their friends. Those were almost the worst groups, even though the presence of an adult curbed the use of silly string. The disapproving looks on the parents’ face when he told them he didn’t have any treats made him uncomfortable. It was clear they thought he wasn’t getting into the neighbourhood spirit. Although again, he didn’t know why they were still bothering to try and make him feel bad – he hadn’t been in the neighbourhood spirit for years now.  
  
Nick pulled open the door, ready for another chanted chorus of, “Trick or Treat.” But when he saw who it was, he was in no doubt that he was facing the trick again – even if there were no silly string involved this time.  
  
“Good evening, Nick.”  
  
Helen looked completely at ease as she stood in the porch, apparently unfazed by the group of whooping children that went running down the street past Nick’s house at that moment, or the glowering expression Nick was directing at her.  
  
“What do you want?”  
  
“To come in, if you don’t mind?”  
  
The question was clearly rhetorical, as before he could even think of a response Helen had slid past Nick into the hallway.  
  
“Close the door, Nick. There’s a chill in the air. And you don’t want the whole neighbourhood piling in looking for sweeties, do you?”  
  
Mechanically, Nick shut the door. He knew he was still scowling at Helen, but he couldn’t actually think of a single thing to say. Except for the obvious question, which no doubt Helen wouldn’t answer, at least with the truth.  
  
The pause was interrupted by Stephen calling from the living room. “Who was it, Nick? Did they have impressive costumes?”  
  
Helen raised an eyebrow. Clearly she hadn’t known Stephen was there, and that fact made Nick feel a tiny bit better. She wasn’t prepared for everything, after all.  
  
He only realised he hadn’t responded to Stephen’s question when he heard footsteps, and then Stephen himself appeared in the hallway. “Nick? Who was…?” He broke off, his eyes narrowing as he saw Helen.  
  
“Hello, Stephen. This is a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Helen’s tone was light, but the look on her face indicated that the surprise wasn’t quite as pleasant as she was making out.  
  
“I could say the same thing about you,” Stephen replied, his voice hard. “He turned his eyes towards Nick. “What did you let her in for?”  
  
Nick shrugged. _I didn’t have much of a choice_ , seemed like a lame explanation, for all it was the correct one.  
  
“I promised him a treat if he let me come in,” Helen said, smiling a predatory smile. “I didn’t realise he already had one.”  
  
Nick found his voice at last. “Why are you here, Helen?” he said, asking the question he knew Helen probably wouldn’t answer.  
  
And, as predicted, she was typically evasive. “Oh, this is just a flying visit. It seemed rude not to pop in and say hello.”  
  
“Well, now you’ve said it, you can leave again,” said Stephen flatly.  
  
But Helen just smiled and remained where she was, and Nick found himself wondering how long this three-way stalemate was going to go on for. “Why are you here?” he asked again, for lack of anything else to say.  
  
“Can’t a woman drop in on her husband from time to time?” There was no mistaking the possessive tone that crept into Helen’s voice on the word ‘husband’, and Stephen gave her a hard look.  
  
“If you were still married to Nick, then maybe I’d say yes,” he replied. “But you’re not, and Nick’s moved on. We _both_ have. Your little bombshell didn’t do quite the amount of damage you’d hoped.”  
  
“Yes, I can see that.” Annoyance flickered in Helen’s eyes, and Nick suddenly realised something.  
  
“You actually _are_ here for me, aren’t you?” he said slowly. “You were going to try and persuade me to come with you again, thinking that I’d be so desperate to leave this place – this _world_ – by now, that I’d jump at the chance."  
  
“There’s so much I could show you, Nick…”  
  
“Spare me the spiel. I don’t need to hear it again. Unfortunately for you, Helen, Stephen’s right. Your plan to drive a wedge between the two of us has backfired rather spectacularly, as you can see. I won’t be coming with you.”  
  
“Are you sure? Are you so sure this,” Helen waved a hand at Nick and Stephen, “can last? You do remember what he did, don’t you?”  
  
“Of course I do. And I’ve forgiven him. That won’t work again, Helen, so don’t even try it.” Nick placed a soothing hand on Stephen’s arm – the other man’s fists were tightly clenched as he glared at Helen with loathing.  
  
He knew Helen had seen the gesture, and at that moment had given up, a mask coming down over her features as she turned back towards the front door.  
  
Well, don’t say I never offered you anything,” she flung at them as she opened the door. “Good-night, Nick. Good-night, Stephen. Happy Halloween.”  
  
Nick stepped forward as Helen disappeared through the door. He could see her figure retreating down the front path, but as she reached the gate another group of children swooped along the pavement, surrounding her momentarily as they hared towards Nick’s house.  
  
“Trick or treat! Trick or treat!”  
  
Wearily, Nick shut the door before the kids made it to the step. He knew he should follow Helen, or at least watch where she went, but honestly, what was the point? And besides, he had more important things to see to.  
  
Ignoring the disappointed grumblings of the children on the other side of the door, Nick made his way back to the living room, where Stephen had already resumed his position on the sofa. But the other man was no longer relaxed – Nick could see the tension in every line of his body. He sat down next to Stephen, resting his arm on the back of the sofa and running his fingers gently through the hair at the nape of Stephen’s neck.  
  
“Why did she have to come here?” Stephen muttered.  
  
“Because she’s Helen, and she can’t leave well enough alone,” replied Nick. “Just forget about her.”  
  
“She reminds me of what I…”  
  
“Stop it.” Nick’s tone was sharp. “That’s exactly what she wants. For you to start feeling guilty, and for me to start pushing you away again. Well, I can tell you now, that’s not going to happen. Right?”  
  
“I suppose…”  
  
“There’s no ‘suppose’ about it.” Nick lifted his free hand to Stephen’s face, applying a gentle pressure until Stephen finally looked at him. “She’s not coming between us again,” he said firmly.  
  
“No.” Stephen shook his head slightly.  
  
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Nick leaned forward and kissed Stephen softly, his fingers continuing to card through Stephen’s hair until the other man was practically purring.  
  
Then the moment was interrupting by a loud ringing. Stephen’s purr abruptly turned into a growl, and he started to wriggle out of Nick’s embrace.  
  
“What are you doing?”  
  
“I’m going to take the battery out of that bloody doorbell,” Stephen said. He squeezed Nick’s shoulder briefly before he stepped away. “I don’t want any more interruptions tonight.”


End file.
